Breeders’ Cup said April 29 this year’s two-day World Championships will remain at Santa Anita Park.
Racing in late summer and early fall at Santa Anita is held under the auspices of the Oak Tree Racing Association. But the track is owned by Magna Entertainment Corp., which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in March.
The bankruptcy, still unresolved, led to questions about whether Santa Anita could in fact keep its commitment to be the Breeders’ Cup host site this year. The event is scheduled for Nov. 6-7 at the Southern California track.
Breeders’ Cup officials said the Delaware court handling the MEC bankruptcy case affirmed April 29 Oak Tree’s lease with Santa Anita through the end of this year. MEC-affiliated attorneys had earlier filed a motion seeking court approval of a stipulation to honor the Oak Tree lease.
“As a result, we can now officially confirm that this year’s Breeders’ Cup World Championships will be held at Oak Tree at Santa Anita Park as originally planned,” Breeders’ Cup president and chief executive officer Greg Avioli said in a statement. “Together with our colleagues at Oak Tree and Santa Anita, we are very excited to showcase another outstanding Breeders’ Cup from Southern California to our fans and horsemen around the globe.
Avioli also acknowledged Churchill Downs, the 2010 Breeders’ Cup host site, was prepared to step in this year if necessary.
